Improbable Uruguayan side held to entertaining draw by South Koreans.

The score between Uruguay and South Korea ended in a tie.
Although they had more possession of the ball, Uruguay had trouble breaking through South Korea’s defense until the game’s final minutes.
Godin, the captain for Uruguay, had the best opportunity of the first half when his glancing header off a corner hit the bottom of the left post.
Both Uruguay and South Korea struggled to find the clinical edge in a match where there was plenty of attacking quality on display, but the game ended in a scoreless draw on Thursday in AL RAYYAN.

Although Uruguay had more chances, they were not converted, and neither team scored in the Group H match at the Education City Stadium.

South Korean forward Hwang Ui-jo blasted over the bar when the goal was within reach, and Uruguay’s captain Diego Godin was denied by the woodwork. Both teams will be disappointed with their missed opportunities before Portugal and Ghana play later on Thursday to settle the group standings.

There may have only been a couple hundred South Korean fans in attendance, but they certainly made themselves heard, chanting and beating drums to keep time with the fast and furious action on the field.

South Korean head coach Paulo Bento boasted, “We’re a very bold team, we’re not afraid of our opponents.”

“Realizing this is a different competition than our qualifiers, we must exert complete control over every facet of the game. And yet, this will not deter us from carrying out our plans. In addition, we proved our abilities today.”

In the 19th minute, Federico Valverde had Uruguay’s first real look at goal when he received a pass from Jose Maria Gimenez, took a touch, and then fired a half-volley toward goal, but his attempt was just high.

Before the half-hour mark, the South Americans had started to find their footing when South Korea, who had been patiently controlling the first half so far, disrupted their rhythm by launching a counterattack from a Uruguay corner.

In a dangerous attacking position on the left flank, Son Heung-min received the ball and cut inside, dribbling past two Uruguayan defenders before unleashing a right-footed effort on goal, which was cleared by left back Mathias Olivera.

In the 34th minute, South Korea had a golden opportunity to take the lead when Moon-hwan Kim zipped the ball into the penalty area and into the path of Hwang in front of goal, but the striker lost his cool and blasted the shot high and wide.

Hwang’s teammates sank to their knees after his miss, and they nearly paid for it right before halftime when center back Godin rose highest to power a header from Valverde’s corner, but the ball bounced off the post to the left of the goal.

Five minutes after the resumption, Gimenez made a crucial tackle to deny Son after a flowing South Korean move, and at the other end, Jung Woo-young blocked a powerful strike from midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur.

As the game wore on, Uruguay had more possession of the ball and looked more dangerous, but they were unable to break through Korea’s well-organized defense. Darwin Nunez, a threat in the forward position thanks to his speed, had a frustrating day on the field.

After 64 minutes, Uruguay manager Diego Alonso substituted Edinson Cavani for Luis Suarez. The striker was a lively presence, nearly connecting with Nunez’s whizzing shot that went wide.

In the waning seconds of regulation time, Valverde unleashed a thunderbolt that hit the top of the post, and Son had one last chance but dragged his shot wide.